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My English Setter did this as a puppy....I can't quite remember if the behavior coincided with his puppy "fear period", but I do know that it passed. As a puppy, he would refuse to leave the yard, but he grew to love walks as he entered adolescence. In ES's, it is also a breed-specific trait.....if anything makes them worried, or unsure, they tend to adopt a "passive resistance" tactic...they simply sit and refuse to move forward. (I joke with my vet that this is why they call him an English Setter..he "sets" when he doesn't want to go somewhere.) My dog still does this, whenever he is being asked to go somewhere he prefers not to go...especially when being asked to walk past an area where a scary resident dog barks aggressively at the fence, or where an off leash dog has confronted him aggressively. He just sits down and refuses to walk down that particular street.
Gentle persuasion has always worked for me...a high value reward, such as a favorite treat like cheese or hot dogs, or a really fun sqeaky toy help. I also adopt a "fun and happy voice"....I crouch, and do the human equivalent of a play-bow, and in a high pitched voice, start babbling like a crazy person..."Whose my good boy!!! Who wants a treat!" He usually forgets himself for a few moments, and comes to me, tail wagging, and then I start jogging a bit and clapping and talking in a high pitched, happy voice again. I may look like an idiot, but it works!
Another tactic you can try is to put your puppy in the car, and drive him to an unfamiliar area..(unfamiliar to him, that is). Chances are he will walk with you, because he is unsure of where he is, and will want to stay close by you. This will help him build confidence, and get him used to unfamiliar sights and sounds.
Good luck! Sweet, sensitive dogs like your Golden must be trained with lots of love, patience, and gentle persuasion. Don't feel he is being stubborn deliberately....he is a baby, who is unsure about the world. It is your job to show him he has nothing to fear.
Would let him walk around the house w/ a light leash (woven cloth), just let him drag it a bit (not for too long) - he'll get used to the feel of it (wouldn't let him walk too far from you, you dont want him to get tangled or get the leash caught on something). We would sort of 'follow' ours the first few times we took them out on leashes til they got used to it - not sure if that was right but we wanted to make it positive and happy for them - nowadays, they love their walks, it's a real highlight for them (and we have a fenced-in yard but they just like see things other than what's in their little world (yard) plus that little bit of extra exercise and fresh air helps them sleep a lot better (and so do we!) ).
When our English Bulldog puppy (now 9 months old) was little, we were the laughing-stock of the block when we tried to take him out for a "drag". He would just lie down and refuse to budge. He's gotten much better (which is fortunate since he now weighs around 60 lbs.), but he often puts up initial resistance and and needs a gentle nudge down the stoop. Just last night, when he heard my husband getting out the leash, instead of running downstairs to the front door, he ran upstairs to the 3rd floor! However, once he's out, he's gotten very good about walking. Obviously, due to the breed, we can't push him especially in this hot, humid weather, but he trots along at a good pace. He does try to "lead" my husband to favorite spots - such as a friend's house and a local bar where he gets treats.
Keep at it, the puppy will get the hang of it! If an English Bulldog puppy can be persuaded to take a daily walk or two, any dog can!
How would you feel if someone tied something around your neck and took you to somewhere totally foreign?
Try to put a harness on him rather than a coller. He may have a more positive reaction.
Also pay attention to his active cycle. The best time to take him out is when he is ready to be active.
Hi Everyone, I have a 14 week old golden retriever that does not want to walk down our street away from the house. If I take her to a park, or anywhere else for that matter, she walks perfectly on the leash. If I carry her down the street and start the walk there, no problem. But she would not walk out our gate and down the street, she sits down and refuses to move. She is well clicker trained, I bring meat treats on the walk, she would ignore the treat and sit down. I know pulling is bad, but 2 pulls gets her going. I don't want to do that, any help anyone?
Hi Everyone, I have a 14 week old golden retriever that does not want to walk down our street away from the house. If I take her to a park, or anywhere else for that matter, she walks perfectly on the leash. If I carry her down the street and start the walk there, no problem. But she would not walk out our gate and down the street, she sits down and refuses to move. She is well clicker trained, I bring meat treats on the walk, she would ignore the treat and sit down. I know pulling is bad, but 2 pulls gets her going. I don't want to do that, any help anyone?
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